What It's Like Being a Vampire

Chapter 543: Chapter 543: Advancing to the Forest

In the room, Xiang Kun, who had just woken up from deep sleep and was sitting on the edge of his bed, heard Alice’s grim report but showed no reaction, seeming to be in a daze.

Sitting in front of the computers not far from the bed was Xia Libing, who also stared blankly, expressionless and silent, having come over to check on Xiang Kun as she knew he was about to wake up.

The room fell into an eerie silence.

After a few seconds, Alice, who had received no response, was not satisfied with just reporting through the computer speakers and directly requested for co-manifestation.

Alice, after co-manifesting, hopped anxiously, “Boss! Xiao Luobo is dead!”

Xia Libing was confused about the situation, whereas Xiang Kun had a rough idea of what was happening. He reached out to hold Alice’s head to stop her from jumping around.

“Nothing is wrong, Xiao Luobo is fine.” Xiang Kun said as he stood up and turned to Old Xia, “I’m going to the mountain. Xiao Luobo underwent some interesting changes; I need to check it out.”

Xia Libing rose to her feet, “Can I go and take a look?”

Xiang Kun considered for a moment before shaking his head, “Better not.”

Xia Libing took her seat again without showing any disappointment and looked thoughtful.

Xiang Kun knew from this mere response of his that Old Xia must have realized the change in “Xiao Luobo” had something to do with “mutants”.

If Xiao Luobo was still a “special creature” merely associated with the “Super Sensory Item System”, just like Golden Flash and Custard Pie, then she could accompany him. After all, she had seen Xiao Luobo before.

However, Xiang Kun tried to exclude Old Xia from anything or information that might directly involve the core secrets of “mutants”. Before figuring out what Mr. Liang’s and Academician Shen’s so-called “ultimate hunters” are, and how they operate their related functions, it would be safer to convey sensitive information in the Dreamland or through other Super Sensory Information channels.

Leaving the house, he found Xiao Pingguo pacing anxiously in the yard. The moment she saw him, she raised her head, “Uncle Xiang, did something happen to Xiao Luobo?”

Recently, after getting Xiang Kun’s permission, Alice had told Xiao Pingguo about Xiao Luobo, her new partner. By maintaining a connection with Golden Flash, she had confirmed Xiao Luobo’s location and status a long time ago. Moreover, they even went together to the mountain under the company of Old Xia and Xiang Kun two mornings before and played in the space extended by Xiao Luobo’s body.

She learned from Golden Flash that Xiao Luobo was not in a good condition, but the exact situation was unclear, and Alice was being purposely vague.

“Nothing’s wrong, don’t worry,” Xiang Kun responded, nonchalantly tousling her hair with a smile.

After entering the mountain, Xiang Kun took off his shoes to speed up and soon reached Xiao Luobo’s location.

It was now the afternoon. In the scorching sun, the giant tree “Xiao Luobo” looked entirely different from when he went to sleep. All branches were bare, without leaves or green twigs—completely bald. The bark on the tree trunk had also begun to darken, showing no signs of moisture, and most of it had fallen off. It looked as if it was “dead”.

However, Xiang Kun knew that Xiao Luobo was not dead, it had merely entered a state that appeared to be “death.”

Indeed, in typical terms, it indeed seemed “dead”, without even a hint of life.

But in the “Super Sensory State”, through cognitive information, one could clearly sense that Xiao Luobo’s existence had not completely disappeared; it was undergoing very drastic changes.

Alice actually knew this too. Her exaggerated report earlier was simply a deliberate attempt to make the situation sound more serious, hoping to bring Xiang Kun over immediately as there was a problem with the little friend she had sworn to protect.

Xiang Kun wandered around Xiao Luobo a few times with Alice, who had co-manifested to follow him like a puppy, incessantly asking, “How is it, boss? What happened to Xiao Luobo?”

“Did Xiao Luobo change too much recently, and ‘nutrition’ could not keep up?”

“Should we bring over some fertilizers for it to eat?”

“Or should I ask Golden Flash to call more birds to poop?”

“Did Xiao Luobo enter our system?”

“Does Xiao Luobo currently possess the characteristics of ‘Super-Connected Objects’ or ‘Emotion Infused Objects’?”

“Did Xiao Luobo mutate? Will it be like you, boss?”

“Will it transform into a human? An adult or a child? Will it have long hair or will it be bald?”

Eventually, Xiang Kun could not hold back anymore. He flicked Alice’s forehead, causing her co-manifested body to instantly vanish.

“Boss, when will Xiao Luobo be fine? Do you need to do anything?” The voice emerged from his pocket—his cellphone.

Xiang Kun took out his phone, glanced at the P40pro Old Xia had given him, and helplessly put it back.

“Don’t worry, Xiao Luobo will be fine soon. We’ll wait here for a while.”

Saying this, Xiang Kun sat down cross-legged beside the tree and closed his eyes, entering the “Super Sensory State.”

Originally, “Xiao Luobo” was a Bell Sepal Tree, but after the transformation by Xiang Kun on the day of Joel’s disintegration, it had changed significantly.

Especially recently, it had been incessantly self-adjusting its biome to interact with Alice. The entire tree was developing horizontally, covering a larger and larger area. Moreover, with flowers blooming, fruits appearing, and strange vines twining around the tree, it looked like a “mutant tree”. If it weren’t for Alice’s influence ensuring no one could reach this location when hiking, this tree would surely have become the “Internet Celebrity Tree” once someone captured and circulated photos online, attracting numerous tourists and experts.

Xiang Kun had always suspected that its rampant changes signified it had become a “mutant”. Its unique cognitive information was making it hard for him to distinguish using previously established models.

But now, under the “Super Sensory State”, experiencing Xiao Luobo’s cognitive information changing bit by bit, he suddenly recognized many familiar parts.

Xiang Kun sat under the tree from afternoon until sunset.

Before the last rays of sunset vanished, “Xiao Luobo” finally started to change dramatically.

The remaining dead bark on the trunk fell like the cracking wall of a collapsing building. The once withered branches, resembling an awakening, famished snake, stretched languidly, sticking out their tongues and slowly becoming vibrant.

Green leaves sprouted at a speed visible to the naked eye. The tree, which just moments ago seemed entirely lifeless and on the brink of scatter with the wind, revived within minutes, lush and full of life.

However, concurrently, all the other trees, grass, and various other plants within a range of tens of meters centering Xiao Luobo, were wilting rapidly.

Xiang Kun was still in the “Super Sensory State”, fully absorbed in perceiving the changes in Xiao Luobo’s cognitive information.

Alice had already appeared, standing in front of Xiao Luobo, stretching out her arms, fists clenched, striking a triumphant pose.

“Xiao Luobo! Resurrect!” Alice shouted.

And the rejuvenated Xiao Luobo, who seemed to have grown taller, began to sway its branches, seemingly responding to Alice.

About ten minutes later, the surrounding environment began to regenerate. Flowers and trees that had just withered, and the soil beneath them, began to revitalize, and various types of plants began to grow wildly from the soil.

However, they do not possess Xiao Luobo’s growth ability. Most of them are small tender buds. Amidst the previously wilted plants, they appear chaotic and tenaciously vibrant.

Xiang Kun opened his eyes and looked at Xiao Luobo, feeling somewhat astonished.

Now, Xiao Luobo finally displayed the characteristics of a “mutant”. Whether judged through traditional olfactory senses or through Super Sensory Information, all could identify the “mutant” traits.

But it is different from any other “mutants” that Xiang Kun has previously encountered. Under the “Super Sensory State”, most of Xiao Luobo’s cognitive information remains the same, with only a small part displaying “mutant” features.

Strictly speaking, it should be referred to as a “Semi-Mutated Being”?

Moreover, Xiao Luobo had fully integrated into the “Super Sensory Item System”, able to merge with all surrounding “Super-connected Objects” into a holistic network, or rather, it has become a subset of this system.

Xiao Luobo’s “rebirth from death” at this point is closely related to Xiang Kun’s Blood-drinking Period.

It just so happens that Xiao Luobo began to wither and die rapidly during the stage of Xiang Kun’s mutation evolution, and, after Xiang Kun woke up, it completed the transformation into a “Semi-Mutated Being”.

It seemed to have gained admission to the “Super Sensory Item System” by transforming into a “Semi-Mutated Being”.

Xiang Kun discovered that Xiao Luobo and the budding “new plants” around it, although not physically connected by roots or other parts, have a deep connection. They were like the “carrier-based aircraft” launched by Xiao Luobo.

Moreover, through these “offspring plants”, Xiao Luobo’s plant perception range has expanded many times over. All the ordinary plants nearby can also be integrated into its own perception network.

The “offspring plants” are like antennae used to expand its perception range. They can also moderately alter the hydrological and soil environment.

At this point, Xiang Kun can directly use Xiao Luobo to control the entire plant network, using the unique perception capability of plants for various special sensory information collection, to assess the surrounding environment.

He can perceive the state of underground water, the distribution and activity of various insects in the soil, the growth of various plants, sunlight, rainfall, wind, and other phenomena.

All Xiang Kun has to do is think, and he can perceive through Xiao Luobo.

Although the information obtained seems useless and appears “botanical”, with Alice’s information processing capabilities, she can quickly compile a model for Xiao Luobo’s plant network to cooperate with the “Super-connected Object Network” and form a plant monitoring network.

Judging from the above, Xiao Luobo has not only become an excellent “Developer” under Xiang Kun’s “Super-sensory Item System”, but it also comes with an entirely new monitoring information network.

In the future, when Xiao Luobo’s “offspring plants” are sown across the vast forest, even if his “Super-connected Objects” have not been fully distributed, any “Mutants” hiding in the forest will not be able to escape his and Alice’s surveillance and search.

With Alice controlling electronic devices in human settlements and Xiao Luobo controlling an offspring plant network in the forest, coupled with “Super-connected Objects” and “Emotion Infused Objects”, the only places not yet fully covered by Xiang Kun’s perceptual range are the sky and the ocean.

Of course, for now, the perception range of Xiao Luobo is only a small area nearby. And it appears that it wants to first extend its “offspring plants” towards Chongyun Village through Xiang Kun’s observation of Xiao Luobo’s self-growth trend.

It’s no secret that this is due to Alice’s influence, causing it to consider not only Chongyun Mountain but also Chongyun Village as its primary territory to protect.

The sky had completely darkened. Alice, who had appeared, was joyfully hopping up and down the tree, like a little girl preparing to decorate her new room, discussing how to make it more “interesting” with Xiao Luobo —now that she has “offspring plants” to assist, she can create a larger plant playground for Custard Pie, Xiao Pingguo and the others to play in.

Xiang Kun did not rush to leave, knowing that Xiao Pingguo had Old Xia to take care of her, so dinner was certainly taken care of.

He continued to observe Xiao Luobo and the surrounding “offspring plants”, as well as other ordinary plants and various small creatures.

This transformation of Xiao Luobo into a “Semi-Mutated Being” not only brought about a new perceptual network or ability, but more importantly, allowed him to further perfect the Super Sensory Information model of a “mutant”.

Xiao Luobo did not mutate into a “mutant” on its own but was forcibly influenced by Xiang Kun to transform. Therefore, the most key Super Sensory Information in this process would be more prominent and easier to perceive.

Xiang Kun indeed perceived a lot of special Super Sensory Information. He would need to refine the model with Alice later, but currently, he had a new discovery that needed further confirmation—some very special fragments of Super Sensory Information carrying apparent “mutant” traits were found not only in Xiao Luobo’s Super Sensory Information but also in other ordinary plants and even animals.

If this were in the past, Xiang Kun wouldn’t think much of these Super Sensory Information because there was no corresponding existing reality, and they were widely present in ordinary organisms and do not appear to contain “mutant” traits.

But this time, through the sensory perception of Xiao Luobo’s transformation process, he noticed these unusual pieces of Super Sensory Information.

He suspected that these might be the “High-Dimensional Factors” or “Consciousness Entangled Particles” that were widespread in organisms but had not been activated or produced any effect.

He squatted down in front of a very ordinary bush, entered the “Super Sensory State”, then tried to influence the part of the cognitive information he had locked onto through his “Super-connected Objects”.

Unexpectedly, before he could figure out how to influence it, that segment of cognitive information underwent severe changes.

The “mutant”-like characteristics disappeared!

Xiang Kun opened his eyes, looking somewhat surprised at the bush in front of him that showed no change and, judged by normal senses, didn’t change a bit.

Just as he was puzzled and wanted to conduct another experiment, a wave of hunger rushed over him, and he felt a sudden urge to drink blood.

What’s going on?

He had just finished a Blood-drinking Period, hadn’t he?

Rather than immediately sensing the “Emotion Infused Objects” around Old Xia to borrow her rationality to suppress this impulse, Xiang Kun chose to carefully experience it.

The more he felt, the more he pondered, the more he found something wrong. This craving for blood, this hunger, was not entirely the same as what he felt when the normal Blood-drinking Period was due.